Should Moms Only Feed Their Kids Healthy Foods?

My post last week about Mac ‘n’ cheese sparked a debate about how moms should feed their children. Childhood obesity came up more than once. This afternoon fellow Parents.com blogger Richard Rende reminded me of that debate with his post on whether severely obese children should be separated from their parents. Once again, the question that’s been running through my mind since last Tuesday surfaced: Should moms only feed their kids healthful foods?

Mason’s at the age (11-months-old tomorrow!) where I control everything he eats. His diet consists of healthy grains, veggies, fruits, and lean protein but I do allow him splurges here and there. Mason’s not obese (he’s at the 3% mark for weight on the charts currently), but does that even matter? If he were obese then would occasional splurges still be OK? Or should we put the kibosh on junk food in favor of all healthy food for our kids, all the time? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

5 thoughts on “Should Moms Only Feed Their Kids Healthy Foods?”

I try to only feed healthy foods because once they start going to preschool or daycare or birthday parties or playdates, etc etc etc they have so many chances to get cookies, cake, candy and all that delicious tasting junk.

I understand the encouragement to feed your children only the healthiest foods. Fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean protein should make up the bulk of their diet, in my opinion. But I don’t think allowing a taste of ice cream or a small cookie every now and then is wrong. I make sure that my girls eat a fruit and veggie at every meal, and get a serving of cereal and yogurt every day, and integrate other sources of protein, fat and carbs in meals. I also give them a piece of cookie, a taste of ice cream, or a crunchy snack every now and then. I believe in “everything in moderation” and doing the best I can to make sure they get all of the nutrition they need.

Of course you want to make sure your kids eat healthy foods so that they stay healthy. But I don’t see any harm in going out for ice cream or treating them with some candy or an occasional lunch at a fast food place. I like the point about moderation. Your child isn’t gonna become obese if you only give him or her a little freedom with what they are allowed to eat.

I think parents are irresponsible if they aren’t the ones to introduce their children to junk food. There are certainly healthier versions of some of these snacks, and they are best in moderation. But, seriously! I purchase some of the Gerber Graduates products. The little puffed corn snacks? It’s like a whole grain Cheeto. The arrowroot cookies? Not too different from a butter cookie. But in moderation, they are a healthy part of a child’s diet as children need more fat in their diets than adults do. Because children have had these kid-friendly versions, they might overindulge in other snacks if they’re not being properly supervised. My son is about 9 1/2 months old right now. Every morning for breakfast he has a blend of at least 2 fruits along with organic yogurt and multigrain cereal. For lunch, it’s a mix of veggies (carrots, corn, lima beans, peas, green beans, sweet potato, and edamame usually) coated in ground Cheerios to make them easier to pick up. Dinner is sometimes a bit of whatever we’re having if it’s appropriate, or a blend of veggies (like black bean, zucchini and eggplant) with a few shreds of meat in it. We give whole grain snacks like homemade banana bread cut into sticks and baked again to make it less crummy and some of the aformentioned Graduates products. I still breastfeed. And while I’ll look down on a parent who gives their 9 month old french fries, what’s wrong with homemade mac’n’cheese?